"We discussed the need to try to work on a timeframe for the submission of the declaration, and for our own political actions that we need to take," Hill told reporters on Tuesday evening.

Hill also met China's top nuclear envoy Wu Dawei, but stressed that discussions would begin in earnest on Wednesday, with another meeting with his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye-Gwan scheduled in the morning.

"I think we're going to talk about the issue of how we can complete phase two, what the elements are, putting together this declaration package, and how we might go on from there."

Phase two refers to the disablement of all existing nuclear facilities in North Korea.

Hill is also due to meet his Chinese counterpart on Wednesday afternoon, and hold talks over dinner with Japanese nuclear envoy Akitaka Saiki, before flying to Russia on Thursday.

North Korea agreed last year to disable nuclear plants at its key Yongbyon facility in exchange for aid and diplomatic recognition, in a landmark deal reached with the United States, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea.

As part of the six-party agreement, Pyongyang was to hand over a full declaration of all its nuclear activities by December 31 last year.

But disputes over the declaration have blocked the start of the final phases of the process -- the permanent dismantling of the plants and the handover of all atomic material.

Hill on Tuesday stressed the need for the declaration, and said his brief encounter with Kim had yielded "good discussions in that regard."

On his side, Wu was due to meet separately with each of the negotiators in hopes that Pyongyang would soon hand in the declaration, China's foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said earlier on Tuesday.

"As for when the DPRK (North Korea) will deliver its nuclear declaration, we hope the six-party talks will continue to make progress as quickly as possible," Qin told reporters.

"This is the shared aspirations of the six parties and is what we have been waiting for."

Hill has previously met Kim in the Chinese capital. As chair of the six-party nuclear disarmament negotiations, China is tasked with receiving the declaration from North Korea.

Hill told reporters last week that "we're getting to the point where the declaration is coming," although he could not say whether it would be days or weeks.

According to the State Department, the purpose of Hill's Beijing trip was also to brief China and Russia on a meeting held last week in Washington between negotiators from the United States, Japan and South Korea.

North Korea, which staged a nuclear test in October 2006, is disabling its plutonium-producing reactor and other plants under the six-party deal.

In return for total denuclearisation, the North would receive energy aid, a lifting of US sanctions, the establishment of diplomatic relations with Washington and eventually a formal peace treaty to the 1950-53 Korean War.

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